Strawberry Wine
by Maiden of the Moon
Summary: Inu-Yasha's feelings about Kagome and Kikyo. (One-shot song fic. InuKag)


Author's Note: I guess as great an Inu-Yasha fan I am, I'm kinda behind. Okay, try REALLY behind. I only own manga volumes 1,2,4,7 and 8, and have only just ordered DVD 1. Sooo. My knowledge of certain characters is. lacking. ^_^; I have not yet met Sango (though I know a bit about her) and (though I love them both dearly) I haven't really seen the extent of Shippo's powers and Miroku's henti-ness. Anyway, apart from all this, I am a huge Inu/Kag fan, and I hate Kikyo for messin' with 'em. ^_~ So, getting out with the point, please be kind if the characters are, well, a bit OUT of character, and this is my first Inu fan fic. Heh. ^_^;;; Oh, and by the way: The song I use in this is called "Strawberry Wine" by Deanna Carter, but I wanted the story to be in Inu's point of view, so I changed all the "his" and "him" etc., into "hers" and "her" etc. Kay? Well. tell me what you think, please!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, right. ~*~ Well. It was over. Inu-Yasha walked slowly through a think forest, where vines creeped and crawled and twisted, where flowers bloomed and leaves swished in the soft summer wind. It was almost to hard to believe. The Shikon Jewel was all collected, and Kikyo's soul was finally at rest. Kikyo. Inu-Yasha sighed quietly as he entered a grove, hidden in the depths of the forest. There, in the serene quiet, that was only broken by the small waterfalls' almost silent flow, the half demon sat in the small pink flowers and watched petals and leaves fly by, dancing in the wind. "Kikyo." he whispered quietly, picking a small flower and cupping it in his hands. 'I hope. she's happy, in peace.' Inu closed his eyes lightly, and a flash of her passed through his mind.  
  
'I died hating you!' She cried, her hair blowing ominously, her eyes narrowed, her hands clenched, as if she was forcing them to keep from strangling him.  
  
Inu-Yasha's eyes snapped open again, and the flower danced out of his hands in the warm wind. No matter how many times she had tried to kill him, in death, or in life. no matter how many times she had screamed at him, cursed him, and accused him. he still felt something for her. Could it still be love? Inu laid back and sighed, watching the white clouds drift lazily across across the light blue sky. It could be love. a sort of love. After all, she was his first crush.  
  
She was working through college on my grandpa's farm.  
  
I was thirsting for knowledge and she had a car.  
  
I was caught somewhere between a man and a child.  
  
When one restless summer we found love growing wild.  
  
On the banks of the river on a well beaten path.  
  
It's funny how those memories they last.  
  
Inu lightly picked another little flower, gently pulling off the petals one by one. It was. odd. with Kikyo. She was the first to ever see him as more then a threat, more then just a half breed. She had actually had feelings for him. Had. But. he did cherish them. All those times they had together. All the feelings she had for him. It made him feel that maybe. Maybe someone could actually love him. That someone could see through his exterior, and maybe, just maybe, find the small child in him, the child that felt lonely and hurt. See the part of him that was good. And she had.  
  
Like strawberry wine and seventeen.  
  
The hot July moon saw everything.  
  
My first taste of love oh bittersweet.  
  
Green on the vine.  
  
Like strawberry wine.  
  
Inu-Yasha let the flower petals leave at their will, he didn't care. People left too. Always leaving. Always leaving him behind. His mother left. His father left. The other children, when he was young, had always left. Kikyo left too. But that was more his fault then any of the others leaving him. He had killed her. "Well," he huffed, angrily, "she killed me, too." Didn't she? He flexed his hands. They moved. He twitched his ears. They moved too. He had never really died. Only slept. Inu sat up and looked into the clear water of the small river where the waterfall bubbled. Yes, his face was reflected there. He had only slept. Yet. Kikyo had died.  
  
I still remember when thirty was old.  
  
And my biggest fear was September when she had to go.  
  
A few cards and letters and one long distance call.  
  
We drifted away like the leaves in the fall.  
  
She could never have seen her reflection in the cool water of this river. Their river. Sighing, Inu-Yasha fingered a small stone he found by the bank. This was there spot. Where they had, so many years ago, met secretly. Talked secretly. Kissed secretly. In spite himself, the half demon felt a small smile cross his lips.  
  
But year after year I come back to this place!  
  
Just to remember the taste.  
  
Yes, their time together had been short. But so sweet. Until. Curse that Naraku. Curse him all the way to hell. He had ruined it all. The only things he had ever loved, the only person. Naraku had made a point of taking. So long ago.  
  
Of strawberry wine and seventeen.  
  
The hot July moon saw everything.  
  
My first taste of love oh bittersweet.  
  
Green on the vine.  
  
Like strawberry wine.  
  
Inu found himself growling, even though he hadn't realized it. That blasted demon. He had pitted him against Kikyo, taken the shards, sent tons of demons against him, but most unforgivable- He had threatened Kagome. As his thoughts drifted towards Kagome, his growling ceased as quickly as it had begun. A soft, pink tinge crossed his cheeks, and his eyes glazed over as a flash of Kagome crossed his mind.  
  
'Inu-Yasha?!' she cried, tears in her eyes, as she ran towards him, fear and concern in her sent- And her eyes.  
  
He shook his head, as if to clear it, and pulled his knees to his chin and hugged his legs to his body. He sighed again, the pink in his cheeks disappearing, as he let his gaze fall on the river. The ever flowing river, and the ever blooming flowers.  
  
The fields have grown over now.  
  
Years since they've seen the plow.  
  
There's nothing time hasn't touched.  
  
Is it really her or the loss of my innocence.  
  
I've been missing so much.  
  
"Inu-Yasha?" He had picked up her sent, and her steps, long before she had walked into the clearing, but for some reason, his senses never really registered it. He jumped, and turned his head, his legs still up to his chin. Kagome. She stood, looking concerned, her head cocked at him as if pondering something. She carried her backpack in her hands, and she took another step towards him, slowly. "I-I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to follow, but I didn't know where you went. So I followed the footsteps I found." She shifted uncomfortably, as if unsure of how he would react. Inu-Yasha didn't say anything, but turned his gaze back to the river. He closed his eyes lightly, letting her sent wash over him. Such a sweet and gentle sent. She took a few more slow steps forward, and tentatively sat next to him, putting her backpack in her lap, looking up at the sky. The blue had turned orange, and the white clouds pink. The sun was setting quickly, and the moon rising slowly. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly, moving a strand of her gently blowing hair out of her face, the stars that were beginning to shine reflecting in her eyes. Inu opened his eyes and looked at her out of the corner of his dog like yellow orbs. "Yeah," he said softly back. Kagome looked surprised. Maybe it was his tone, or his lack of insults, but his seemed. different. The black haired girl bit her bottom lip gently. "I brought some food. in case you were hungry. I even brought some ramen!" she said cheerfully, hoping this would lighted him obviously heavy spirits.  
  
The half demon shook his head. "I'm not hungry." 'Kagome's sent is different now,' he thought lightly, 'she smells worried. But why? Why would she care that I don't want to eat? In that case, why does she care about me at all? Not like I treat her all that well.' Kagome put a cool hand on his forehead. It was soft and comforting.  
  
"You don't have a temperature. What's wrong?" she asked, almost scared. Inu didn't say anything. He thought he must look sick, his face contorted in a sad expression and his not wanting to eat ramen. But he was suffering from the heart. There was nothing she could do about that. Kikyo. He didn't want her back so much as he just wanted her to get out of his mind. He had other things to do with his life. Other people to love. Other girls. One girl. The one next to him. He glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye again. She looked so beautiful, even so worried.  
  
Kikyo. Kagome. At first, he thought they were the same. But now. Kagome was. sunlight. She was warm and soft and brought light into his dark and cold life. Kikyo was. wind. Ever changing, ever flowing, sometimes warm, sometimes as harsh and cold as knives. Kikyo was his first crush. Kagome. Kagome he loved. And crushes and loves are so different. "Do you want to talk?" Kagome asked, sitting up on her knees, and brushing a piece of Inu's hair out of his face. Inu-Yasha made no movements. Then he relaxed his position, sitting cross legged. "Well?" Kagome asked. There was a long silence Then she glanced down. "I think- I think I know what you're thinking about." Inu looked up at her, but said nothing. "You're thinking about- her- aren't you?" It was the half demon's turn to look down. He longed to say something, but his mouth wouldn't move. Kagome bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. "If you still- still love her- well, that's fine. It's not like- like- never mind," she whispered, looking away. Inu-Yasha looked up, alarmed, and found his tongue. "It's not like that." Kagome glanced at him, tears in her eyes, and then looked away again. "I- I still have feelings for her, but not like- like that. I can't forget her- she was an important part of my life. But- I have something more important now." Kagome sniffed and looked at him. "What's that?" she asked quietly. ".You," Inu whispered, turning red. Kagome's face broke into a smile. Like sunshine. She threw her arms around him and hugged him close. Inu smiled and hugged her back. Then they both broke away gently, and leaned forward into their first kiss.  
  
Like strawberry wine and seventeen!  
  
The hot July moon saw everything!  
  
My first taste of love! Oh bittersweet!  
  
Green on the vine!  
  
As the sweet kiss ended, Kagome nestled into his chest and hugged him. "I love you, Inu-Yasha," she whispered. "I love you too, Kagome," he whispered back. As Kagome fell asleep, the half demon tilted his head towards the stars, holding Kagome close. She it wasn't only Kikyo who could do it. It wasn't only Kikyo who could see into him and find that good inside. But unlike Kikyo, Kagome wasn't going to leave him. Except for those stupid school test things.  
  
Like strawberry wine! 


End file.
